: The Hero Meeting After the Monster Meeting

"Bai Jing, if you're really scared, you can quit now."

Big Eyes' expression instantly turned cold. His originally gloomy single eye now seemed to be covered with a thick layer of frost, and the light became sharp as a knife.

He stared intently at the figure roaring in the center of the hall, his tone filled with undisguised warning and disgust.

"If you dare to say such things again, I won't be able to stop Lord Orochi from getting angry."

However, this chilling warning did not cool down Bai Jing's boiling blood; instead, it was like throwing a burning match into a powder keg, instantly igniting all his rationality.

Bai Jing suddenly raised his head and let out an angry roar from deep in his throat, shaking the dust off the dome of the hall.

"Come on then! Bring it on, all of you! You all think you're so tough, huh? You really think I'm a pushover?"

Bai Jing's chest heaved violently, like a bellows being pulled, his voice savage and frenzied, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth. His eyes were bloodshot, his finger pointing at Hao Jie's imposing body, then suddenly lashing out at the great serpent high above:

"I fucking survived that kind of despair! Who the hell do you think you are? Come on, hero, Orochi, you really think I'm afraid of you? Come on, try me!"

Big Eyes' face darkened completely, like the stillness before a storm. The light in his single eye instantly turned into a deathly coldness. His massive, fleshy body swayed slightly, suppressing his impending rage, and his voice was so deep it seemed to come from the depths of hell:

"go out."

"This is your last warning. If you dare utter another word, you'll never have to speak again."

The air seemed to solidify into a solid block of lead, so heavy it was suffocating. Bai Jing's chest heaved violently, his crimson eyes scanning back and forth between the Great Eye, the Great Serpent, and the Hero.

"Damn it! A bunch of idiots, you're doomed!"

Bai Jing spat fiercely on the ground, but ultimately decided against a direct confrontation at this critical juncture. He turned abruptly and walked towards the door without looking back.

Just as his figure was about to completely disappear into the deep shadows outside the door, he suddenly stopped, turned half his face to the side, and swept his sinister gaze over the two trembling figures in the corner, uttering another warning with a sly grin:

"Homeless Emperor, Meow Meow, you two idiots, since you're still stuck in this damn association, you'll inevitably run into that alien sooner or later. Don't blame me for not warning you, relying on this bunch of trash is worse than digging your own graves!"

Before the words were even finished, the heavy alloy door slammed shut with a dull thud, completely isolating the inside from the outside. The sound was like a death knell, echoing eerily in the empty hall.

After the doors closed, the hall fell into a suffocating silence. The air seemed to solidify into a viscous gel, making even breathing difficult.

The lingering, violent aura left by the white essence seemed to still linger in the air, mixed with the terrifying pressure of the giant serpent, creating an eerie and oppressive atmosphere that made the already heavy meeting atmosphere even more chilling.

All the strange people lowered their heads and shrank their necks, wishing they could hide in the ground. No one dared to provoke them at this time.

Only after the white figure disappeared did Big Eyes slowly turn around, his face so dark it seemed to drip water. He stared intently at the Stray Emperor and Meow Meow huddled in the corner, his voice icy:

"What exactly happened? That alien was very strong? How strong was it?"

"Don't tell me you've also been infected by the white sperm, and you're so scared you can't even speak properly."

"Big Eyes...that...that's not a question of strength at all..."

Meow Meow suddenly shivered violently, as if an invisible icy hand had instantly gripped his heart, forcibly dragging that terrifying memory back into his mind.

"You'll never understand that feeling unless you experience it yourself! I can't describe it! I really can't!"

The meowing had completely changed; it was howling incoherently, like a frightened hedgehog.

Those eyes, which had been gleaming with cunning, were now unfocused, their pupils dilated, reflecting terrifying phantoms that did not exist in the air.

"That was despair, an unreachable abyss... no, it was a hundred times more despair than despair itself!"

It suddenly clutched its head, its nails digging deep into its scalp, its body convulsing violently, as if trying to tear that terrible memory out of its mind.

"Before him, we are not even ants; that trembling that comes from the depths of our souls... Ah! Just thinking about it makes me want to die!"

With a muffled thud, the homeless emperor, huddled in the corner, heard Meow Meow's words and recalled yesterday's scene. Finally unable to bear the immense mental pressure, he knelt heavily on the cold, hard ground.

A morbid, almost manic piety now appeared on his pale face. His hands were raised high and clasped together in front of his chest, as if praying to some distant altar. His voice trembled, yet carried an eerie certainty.

"That's a god, a demon! Only gods can fight demons... only gods can stand against demons, mortals... mortals' flesh and blood are no match for them..."

Listening to the two people, one hysterical and incoherent, the other delirious and devoutly pious, Da Jiong's brows furrowed, and the red light in his large single eye flashed intensely, as he tried to decipher this fear that was completely beyond logic.

He silently turned around, his gaze passing through the empty doorway, as if trying to see through the thick layers of rock and the steel gate to lock onto that unknown, terrifying threat.

The arrogant and ambitious White Elf, the cunning and treacherous Meow Meow, and the unruly and arrogant Wandering Emperor—these three association executives usually don't even take the giant snake seriously.

The mere mention of that name, or even just recalling that scene, could drive him to insanity, causing him to ramble incoherently and even lose the most basic fighting spirit required of a monster.

This fear is not a disguise, but an imprint etched into our genes.

The terrifying implications of this cannot be summarized by simple terms like "S-class hero" or "very strong".

The unease that had been lurking in his heart, like a leech, finally erupted completely at this moment, turning into a heavy boulder, its cold weight pressing down on his heart.

His usually calm and composed mind was now tinged with an unprecedented heaviness and a chilling coldness:

"This time...it's really a big problem..."

........................

A few days later, at King's house.

Saitama was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, intently manipulating the controller. On the television screen, the character he controlled was being mercilessly crushed by King's character.

Meanwhile, Genos, wearing an apron, was busy in the open kitchen preparing lunch for everyone.

Boros, on the other hand, seemed a bit bored. He leaned back on the sofa, listlessly flipping through a comic book.

Just then, a sudden cell phone ring broke the peace.

"Hey, Sitch, it's rare for you to call me."

Boros answered the phone, his tone slightly languid, "Where's Alice?"

A hurried and serious report seemed to come from the other end of the phone.

"Hmm? An emergency summons of S-class heroes? They want me to be there at all costs?"

"Okay, I got it. I'll be there. Oh, you can tell King and Genos yourself. I'm not with them." Boros hung up the phone.

King and Genos cast puzzled glances at them.

"Why are you looking at me? I'm not a messenger. If there's anything urgent, let him tell you himself..." Boros shrugged.

A few minutes later, King and Genos also received the notification.

"Professor Boros, Mr. King, headquarters has urgently convened an S-class meeting. It seems the problem is very serious. Let's go there quickly."

After hanging up the phone, Genos began calculating the shortest time needed to get to the Hero Association headquarters, and even considered whether to activate the emergency thrusters.

"Look at you, always in such a hurry!"

Boros, however, seemed not to hear him, maintaining his languid posture. He even yawned and said casually:

"Headquarters holds an S-level meeting every other day. Aren't you used to it? Today it's because of this weirdo, tomorrow it's because of that disaster. Every little thing requires a meeting."

He glanced at King, who stood calmly to the side, seemingly unconcerned, and continued:

"Learn more from King. Let's go over after we finish eating. Besides, don't you know that the last person to appear is the most impressive? That's called 'the grand finale,' a characteristic of the strong."

"The one who rushed in at the very beginning is just a nobody, you know?"

"For example, if I had appeared dozens of episodes later, I can't even imagine how strong I would be now!!"

"So you still have a lot to learn on the path to becoming strong, Genos... Keep learning and you'll..."

Genos's processor seemed to freeze for a moment, silently shutting down the combat pre-check program that had just started, and quickly took out its notebook to start taking notes.

"Yes, I understand, Professor Boros."

Genos lowered his head and finished writing in his notebook. Although he was still anxious, he obediently retreated to the kitchen. "Then I'll turn the heat up a bit and try to have dinner ready in ten minutes."

Boros nodded in satisfaction and picked up the comic book again.

"Saitama, what are you daydreaming about? Want to come with us?"

"I understand."

Boros gave Saitama a knowing look and winked at him.

"You really want to go, but you don't want to admit it, right?"

Saitama's statement isn't entirely right, nor is it entirely wrong:

"If only Pineapple Head were a weirdo, I've never wanted to smash someone's head like this before."

He stared at his fist, lost in thought, and secretly vowed to advance to S-rank as soon as possible.

After the group finished lunch, they saw Boros still calmly reading comics.

Genos asked, "Professor Boros, aren't we going over there yet? The association called again to urge us."

Boros knew what the meeting was about, so he wasn't in a hurry at all. He finally closed the comic book, but instead of getting up, he stretched and yawned.

"These days, associations overreact to the slightest disturbance. Since they're in such a hurry to contact us, let them wait a little longer. This 'torture of waiting' is also a test of their mentality."

He glanced at the clock on the wall and said slowly:

"Wait another half hour. We'll set off after this episode of the anime finishes. Don't worry, you see there are no emergency evacuation announcements or anything, which means there aren't any powerful monsters appearing. It's not like anyone will die if we go a little later."

...half an hour later...

"Isn't the teacher leaving yet?... "

………………